Thursday, May 22, 2014

When it comes to experiencing positive emotions, Latin America may have the rest of the world beat.

A new report from Gallup shows that nine out of the top 10 countries with the highest percentages of residents experiencing positive emotions are located in Latin America. Paraguay came in No. 1, followed by Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Colombia. Denmark was the only country in the top 10 not located in Latin America.

Experiencing positive emotions was defined as smiling or laughing, experiencing enjoyment, being treated with respect, feeling well-rested, and learning or doing something interesting in the previous day. Survey data from about 1,000 residents in each of 138 countries was used for the report.

Meanwhile, Syria had the lowest percentage of residents reporting positive emotions, followed by Chad, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Nepal and Belarus. According to the Gallup report, just 31 percent of Syrians reported feeling well-rested, 25 percent reported learning or doing something interesting, and 31 percent reported feeling enjoyment in the previous day.

Overall, the majority of people reported feeling positive emotions, Gallup researchers found. At least seven out of 10 adults surveyed overall reported laughing or smiling a lot, feeling well-rested, being treated with respect or experiencing enjoyment in the previous day, while a bit more than half reported learning or doing something interesting the previous day.